WMA Releases Pro Start List For Round One

(May 10, 2006)
Bend, Or: The 2006 Hitachi AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship presented
by Hitachi kicks off this Saturday, May 13th, at the Glen Helen Raceway’s
“Prequel” event, San Bernardino, CA and the WMA Pro starting grid is set to
be the most competitive in women’s pro national motocross history.

The defending
WMA Pro Champion, Jessica Patterson (Honda of Houston/Moto XXX), will have her
hands full with this season’s field of racers as she shoots for her 3rd
WMA Pro Championship. Sarah Whitmore (Richardson’s RV/Yamaha #4) is hungry to
win the championship having been runner-up in 2005 and 2003. Whitmore has been
in California most of the winter preparing for the outdoor nationals and has
made the switch from 125cc to 250F. Tania Satchwell (Team Green Kawasaki #105)
also relocated to California to get more track time in before the WMA Nationals.
Satchwell has proven that she is capable of winning, having won the championship
in 2001 and that she is a fierce competitor finishing numerous times on the
podium these past few years. More “seat” time may just be what Satchwell has
needed to win another championship. Tarah Gieger (Richardson’s RV/Yamaha
#68) was having a great season in 2005 before getting injured at Washougal,
she is healed up and ready to contend the championship.

Up-and-comer
Alisa Nix (Yamaha # 2), will be one to watch. She won the Women’s “A” class
at Lake Whitney and Oak Hill in March of 2006, and at only 16 years-old
she has a great future in WMA pro racing. Leah Cantrell (VFM Racing Team/Suzuki
#322), from Marietta, GA will be racing the WMA Championship for the first time.
Cantrell finished 2nd at Loretta Lynn’s in 2005 behind Whitmore and
is definite threat. Sherri Cruse (Zip Ty Racing/Yamaha #11) 17, from Bakersfield,
CA has been dominating the WORCS races gearing up for the WMA Nationals and
Elizabeth Bash (Team Green Kawasaki #33) 19, has been gaining momentum the past
few seasons, they both could be title challengers.

The Championship
upset could come from Team Green Kawasaki’s Katherine Prumm, 17 years-old, Auckland,
New Zealand. Prumm is fresh off of a FIM Women’s World Cup win in
Teutschenthal, Germany. She finished in front of French rider Livia Lancelot
and Germany’s Steffi Laier. She will race the first two rounds of the Hitachi
AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship presented by Kawasaki.